A featured dish at La Piazza Restaurant & Wine Bar in Ridgefield is the Amalfi pizza with eggplant, roasted peppers, Kalamata olives and oregano. The pizza is seen with a sparkling pomegranate martini. Photographed on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012. less

A featured dish at La Piazza Restaurant & Wine Bar in Ridgefield is the Amalfi pizza with eggplant, roasted peppers, Kalamata olives and oregano. The pizza is seen with a sparkling pomegranate martini. ... more

The seafood fra diavlo is a featured dish at La Piazza Restaurant & Wine Bar in Ridgefield. The dish features clams, mussels, scallops, calamari and shrimp and a bed of linguini. Photographed on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012. less

The seafood fra diavlo is a featured dish at La Piazza Restaurant & Wine Bar in Ridgefield. The dish features clams, mussels, scallops, calamari and shrimp and a bed of linguini. Photographed on Tuesday, Aug. ... more

Pan-seared sea scallops are a featured appetizer at La Piazza Restaurant & Wine Bar in Ridgefield. Scallops over proscuitto and asparagus get a pomegranate drizzle. Photographed on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012.

Pan-seared sea scallops are a featured appetizer at La Piazza Restaurant & Wine Bar in Ridgefield. Scallops over proscuitto and asparagus get a pomegranate drizzle. Photographed on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012.

The Caprese salad is a featured dish at La Piazza Restaurant & Wine Bar in Ridgefield. It has sliced tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and mixed greens with a balsamic reduction. Photographed on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012. less

The Caprese salad is a featured dish at La Piazza Restaurant & Wine Bar in Ridgefield. It has sliced tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and mixed greens with a balsamic reduction. Photographed on Tuesday, Aug. 7, ... more

Although I didn't order them, I suspect the arancine would be a memorable first course -- rice balls that contain chopped salami and Parmesan cheese are fried to a golden brown.

They come served with marinara sauce, of course. Arancine is actually a Sicilian specialty that I have only eaten at people's houses and only on holidays.

My entree of breaded chicken Milanese came with an arugula salad. I asked the waiter to use any dressing but vinaigrette. He was happy to suggest poppy seed dressing, a milder option paired nicely with the bitter greens.

My companion, he and I are both Italian, nodded knowingly when I said, "You have to love a place that serves a dish called octopus carpaccio." The raw seafood is served with endive, arugula, kalamata olives, orange segments and capers.

La Piazza has a variety of sandwiches, calzones and individual-size gourmet pizzas. They can be ordered with white or wheat dough.

Pizza choices include one with chicken scarpiello -- it has cherry peppers, sausage, marinara sauce and cheese. Another topping combination is prosciutto sliver, arugula, mozzerella and sauce.

The pasta and house-made raviolis sounded exquisite and remain a feast for another day. Choices include portobello and crimini mushroom ravioli stuffed with caramelized onions, garlic, mozzarella and grana padano cheese, served with vodka sauce.

Another is layered lobster Napoleon ravioli, with scallops, shrimp, tomatoes and mushrooms in lobster cream sauce. There's also gnocchi with Bolognese sauce.

My companion's main course was horseradish-encrusted salmon. It came with rice, and the fish was garnished with pistachio gremoulade. There was melted butter coating the bottom of the dish.

I noticed a quarter-inch pile of crust on the filet. Earlier our waiter had come by to ask how he wanted it cooked. It came medium as ordered and "perfectly done," my companion said.

I asked about another fish on the menu, bronzino, that I hadn't heard of before. I learned it is "a thin sea bass, thinner than the one from Chile. It's from the Mediterranean and cooked with the skin on."

Our genial waiter was welcoming and attentive. Twice he offered us a plate of kalamata and green olives before the meal.

While we didn't order dessert, a specialty is homemade tiramisu. Vanilla-flavored creme brulee and chocolate cake are on the menu, along with specialty coffees.

Drink choices included sparkling red, rose, white and reserve wines, assorted bottled beers and eight beers on tap, at least a dozen kinds of martinis, margaritas, mojitos and a "ginoito" made with cucumber flavored-gin, sugar and mint and a cucumber garnish.

There are separate lunch and dinner menus, and brunch is offered Saturday and Sunday, although you can also order from the lunch menu after 11:30 a.m.

Exclusive brunch items are breakfast pizza made with a fried egg, mushroom and truffle oil, and croissant French toast, among others.